WO2004108231A1

WO2004108231A1 - Motorized skateboard

Info

Publication number: WO2004108231A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/001343
Authority: WO
Inventors: Seul-Ki Lee
Original assignee: Seul-Ki Lee
Priority date: 2003-06-04
Filing date: 2004-06-04
Publication date: 2004-12-16
Also published as: KR200326895Y1

Abstract

The present invention provides a motorized skateboard in which each of front and rear of trucks and is provided around each of both ends of a footrest, made of an elastic material, by a mounting unit, thus increasing a minimal ground clearance of the footrest, and being constructed to have a low gravity center. The motorized skateboard includes the footrest, and the front truck and the rear truck. Each of the front and rear trucks and has a wheel shaft bracket, with a wheel shaft latitudinally supported on the wheel shaft bracket, and a footrest bracket provided on the wheel shaft bracket by a steering hinge. The motorized skateboard further includes a truck mounting unit, front and rear wheels and respectively coupled to the wheel shafts, and an engine to transmit a driving force to the rear wheels.

Description

MOTORIZED SKATEBOARD

Technical Field

Generally the present invention relates to motorized skateboards. Particularly, the present invention relates to a motorized skateboard in which each of front and rear trucks is coupled to a footrest, made of an elastic material, by a truck mounting unit, so that the skateboard absorbs impact and vibration transferred from an uneven surface during use, thus enhancing riding comfort of the motorized skateboard, and allowing a user to easily perfomi various stunts.

Background Art

As well known to those skilled in the art, motorized skateboards each include a board, with wheels and an engine, which are mounted to the board. The motorized skateboards, on which users stand, climb incline planes using driving forces of the engines, and glide down hills. On level ground, the motorized skateboards run like motorcycles. The motorized skateboards have become popular among young people, who enjoy speed and tiiriil, throughout the world. FIGS. 1 and 2 are views of a conventional motorized skateboard. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional motorized skateboard includes a footrest 1 to seat thereon feet of a user, and a main frame 2 which is longitudinally provided to a lower surface of the footrest 1. The conventional motorized skateboard further includes front and rear trucks 3 and 4 which are respectively provided at front and rear ends of the main frame 2. The front and rear trucks 3 and 4 have front and rear wheel shaft brackets 3b and 4b, with front and rear wheels 3a and 4a latitudinally supported on the front and rear wheel shaft brackets 3b and 4b, respectively. The front and rear trucks 3 and 4 further have front and rear footrest brackets 3c and 4c which are provided on the front and rear wheel shaft brackets 3b and 4b by front and rear steering hinges 3d and 4d, respectively. The conventional motorized skateboard further includes two front wheels 5 and two rear wheels 6 which are respectively coupled to the front and rear wheel shafts 3a and 4a, and an engine 7 which is provided on the rear truck 4 and coupled to the rear wheels 6 to transmit a driving force to the rear wheels 6.

To ride the conventional motorized skateboard having the above-mentioned construction, the engine 7 is operated. Thereafter, the user seats his her feet on the footrest 1 and pulls an accelerator lever (not shown). Then, the rear wheels 6 are rotated by the driving force of the engine 5 7, so that the motorized skateboard is moved forward.

For turning around, the user pushes predetermined portions of the footrest 1 with toe or heel portions of the user's feet seated on the footrest 1. Then, the footrest 1 is inclined around both the front and rear steering hinges 3d and 4d of the front and rear trucks 3 and 4. Thus, the motorized skateboard is steered in a desired direction while both the front and rear wheel shafts 3a and 4a are

L0 inclined.

However, in the conventional motorized skateboard, the main frame 2 is provided on the lower surface of the footrest 1, thus reducing the riding comfort thereof.

That is, an impact is transferred from the uneven surface to the user through the main frame

2. Furthermore, due to the main frame 2, a minimal ground clearance (X) of the motorized

L5 skateboard becomes lower. Therefore, it is very difficult in that the conventional motorized skateboard absorbs the impact or vibration transferred from the ground while being driven on an uneven surface, such as an unpaved road and etc.

In. the meantime, in case that the footrest of a conventional skateboard is made of wood, a user may appropriately utilize elasticity of the wooden footrest while riding the conventional

20 skateboard. However, in the conventional skateboard, each of front and rear trucks is provided on a lower surface of each of both end parts of the footrest. Therefore, the diameter of each of the wheels, used in the skateboard, must be 4 inches or less to lower the gravity center of the skateboard.

However, typically, wheels each having a diameter of 8 inches or more are used in the motorized skateboard to allow the motorized skateboard to be easily driven on an uneven surface 5 without interference. In case that the wheels, typically used in the motorized skateboard, are used in the conventional skateboard, a height of the footrest is excessively increased. Therefore, the skateboard may be unstable. Furthermore, during turning around, the footrest and the wheels may interfere with each other. Thus, it may be very difficult for the user to drive the skateboard.

In case that the wheels are provided to be projected outward from both side edges of the footrest to solve the above-mentioned problems, the wheels may be interfered with the footrest or feet of the user.

Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a motorized skateboard in which each of front and rear trucks is respectively provided around each of both ends of a footrest, made of an elastic material, by a truck mounting unit, thus increasing a minimal ground clearance of the footrest, and being constructed to have a low gravity center.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a motorized skateboard, including a footrest having a longitudinal board-shaped appearance to seat thereon feet of a user, and a front truck and a rear truck respectively provided around both ends of the footrest. Each of the front and rear trucks has a wheel shaft bracket with a wheel shaft latitudinally supported on the wheel shaft bracket, and a footrest bracket provided on the wheel shaft bracket by a steering hinge. The motorized skateboard further includes a truck mounting unit coupled at a first end thereof to the footrest and coupled at a second end thereof to each of the front and rear trucks, front and rear wheels respectively coupled to the wheel shafts of the front and rear trucks, and an engine provided on the rear truck and coupled to the rear wheels to transmit a driving force to the rear wheels. The footrest maybe made of an elastic material. The elastic material may comprise wood. The truck mounting unit may be manufactured through a die-casting process.

The truck mounting unit may be made by bending a pipe. The truck mounting unit may be formed through a pressing process.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates apian view of a conventional motorized skateboard;

FIG.2 illustrates a side view of a conventional motorized skateboard;

FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of a motorized skateboard, according to a first embodiment of 5 the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the motorized skateboard, according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a truck mounting unit which is used in a motorized skateboard, according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and .0 FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of a truck mounting unit which is used in a motorized skateboard, according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components. L 5 A description of preferred embodiments of the invention is as follows.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views of a motorized skateboard, according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the motorized skateboard of the present invention includes a footrest 10 having a longitudinal board-shaped appearance to seat thereon feet of a user, and a front 20 truck 20 and a rear truck 30 which are respectively provided around both ends of the footrest 10. The front and rear trucks 20 and 30 respectively have front and rear wheel shafts 21 and 31 and front and rear steering hinges 22 and 32 which will be described later herein. The motorized skateboard further includes a truck mounting unit 40 which is coupled at a first end thereof to the footrest 10 and is coupled at a second end thereof to each of the front and rear trucks 20 and 30. The motorized 5 skateboard further includes front and rear wheels 50 and 60 which are respectively coupled to the front and rear wheel shafts 21 and 31 of the front and rear trucks 20 and 30. The motorized skateboard further includes an engine 70 which is provided on the rear track 30 and is coupled to the rear wheels 60 to transmit a driving force to the rear wheels 60.

The footrest 10 is made of an elastic material. Typically, the elastic material comprises wood or synthetic resin. Particularly, a veneer board for skateboards, which is made by stacking a plurality of sheets made of maple, increases elasticity of the footrest 10. 5 By the above-mentioned elasticity of the footrest 10, riding comfort of the motorized skateboard can be increased while the motorized skateboard is driven by a user whose feet are seated on the motorized skateboard. Furthermore, the elastic footrest 10 absorbs an impact transferred from an uneven surface to the footrest 10 and allows the user to easily perform stunts. hi the meantime, a combined weight of both the footrest 10 and the user is imposed on the L0 front and rear trucks 20 and 30 which evenly distribute the combined weight to the front and rear wheels 50 and 60. The front and rear tracks 20 and 30 allow the user to easily steer the motorized skateboard while the user controls an inclination of the footrest 10 relative to the wheel shafts 21 and 31. The front and rear tracks 20 and 30 further have front and rear wheel shaft brackets 22 and 32, and front and rear footrest brackets 24 and 34 which are provided on the front and rear wheel shaft L5 brackets 22 and 32 by the steering hinges 23 and 33, respectively. The front and rear wheel shafts 21 and 31 are latitudinally supported on the front and rear wheel shaft bracket 22 and 32, respectively.

To couple the second end of each of the track mounting units 40, which are respectively coupled at the first ends thereof to the front and rear footrest brackets 24 and 34 of the front and rear tracks 20 and 30, to each of the both ends of the footrest 10, a coupling plate 41 is provided on each of

20 the track mounting units 40, so that an upper or lower surface of each of the both ends of the footrest

10 is mounted to the coupling plate 41 by a plurality of locking bolts.

As such, each of the front and rear tracks 20 and 30 is provided around each of the both ends of the footrest 10 by the track mounting unit 40. Therefore, when the user steers the motorized skateboard in a desired direction, the front and rear wheels 50 and 60 are not interrupted by the 5 footrest 10 or the feet of the user.

Furthermore, the motorized skateboard of the present invention has no frame on the lower surface thereof, different from conventional motorized skateboards.

Accordingly, the motorized skateboard of the present invention has a stable structure in that a nώiimal ground clearance (X) is higher, and a gravity center is lower. The track mounting unit 40 may be manufactured through a die-casting process as shown by the track mounting unit 40 provided around a front end of the footrest 10. Alternatively, the track mounting unit 40 may be made by bending a predetermined pipe as shown by the truck mounting unit 40 provided around a rear end of the footrest 10 or a truck mounting unit 40 according to a second embodiment of FIG. 5.

As a further alternative, the track mounting unit 40 may be formed through a pressing process as shown by a track mounting unit 40 according to a third embodiment of FIG.6.

The engine 70 is mounted on the rear track 30. The driving force of the engine 70 is transmitted to the rear wheels 60 through a power transmission unit 71. The motorized skateboard of the present invention further includes a brake 72 which is provided on a predetermined portion opposite to the power transmission unit 71 to brake the rear wheels 60 which have been rotated by the driving force transmitted from the engine 70 thereto.

The process of transmitting the driving force of the engine 70 to the power transmission unit 71, and the operation of the brake 72 are well-known techniques in the related art, and further explanation is thus not deemed necessary.

The operation and effect of the motorized skateboard of the present invention will be described herein below.

To use the motorized skateboard, the engine 70 is started. Thereafter, the user rides on the footrest 10 and pulls the accelerator lever (not shown). Then, the driving force of the engine 70 is transmitted to the rear wheels 60 through the power transmission unit 71. Thus, the driving force rotates the rear wheels 60.

By the rotation of the rear wheels 60, the motorized skateboard is moved forward. While the motorized skateboard runs on the ground, the motorized skateboard may pass over an uneven surface. In the above state, impact or vibration, transferred from the uneven surface, is absorbed by the footrest 10 which is provided between the front and rear wheels 50 and 60. Furthermore, due to the elasticity of the footrest 10, the motorized skateboard allows the user to easily perform the stunts.

That is, because the motorized skateboard of the present invention does not have any frame on the lower surface thereof, different from the conventional motorized skateboards, the desired riding comfort of the motorized skateboard can be obtained by the elasticity of the footrest 10 also on the uneven surface.

To change a driving direction of the motorized skateboard, that is, for turning around, the user pushes predetermined portions of the footrest 10 with toe or heel portions of the user's feet.

Thus, each of the front and rear wheel shafts 21 and 31 is inclined at a predetermined angle around each of the front and rear steering hinges 23 and 33 of the front and rear trucks 20 and 30.

Therefore, the driving direction of the motorized skateboard is changed.

At this time, because the front and rear tracks 20 and 30 are respectively provided around the both ends of the footrest 10, the front and rear wheels 50 and 60 are not interrupted by the footrest

10 or the feet of the user while changing the driving direction. Thus, the motorized skateboard of the present invention provides smooth turning around and driving functionalities.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, the present invention provides a motorized skateboard in which a track mounting unit couples each of front and rear trucks to each of both ends of a footrest which is made of an elastic material, so that the skateboard absorbs impact and vibration transferred from an uneven surface while riding, thus increasing riding comfort, and allowing a user to easily perform a stunt by elasticity of the footrest.

Furthermore, because the front and rear tracks are respectively provided around the both ends of the footrest, the front and rear wheels are not interrupted by the footrest or the feet of the user while changing the driving direction, such as turning around. In addition, the motorized skateboard has a stable structure in that the minimal ground clearance of the footrest is increased, and the gravity center of the motorized skateboard is reduced.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, tiiose skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A motorized skateboard, comprising: a footrest having a longitudinal board-shaped appearance to seat thereon feet of a user; a front track and a rear truck respectively provided around both ends of the footrest, each of 5 the front and rear tracks comprising a wheel shaft bracket, with a wheel shaft latitudinally supported on the wheel shaft bracket; and a footrest bracket provided on the wheel shaft bracket by a steering hinge; a track mounting unit coupled at a first end thereof to the footrest and coupled at a second end thereof to each of the front and rear tracks; .0 front and rear wheels respectively coupled to the wheel shafts of the front and rear tracks; and an engine provided on the rear track and coupled to the rear wheels to transmit a driving force to the rear wheels.

2. The motorized skateboard according to claim 1, wherein the footrest is made of an elastic L5 material.

3. The motorized skateboard according to claim 2, wherein the elastic material comprises wood.

4. The motorized skateboard according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the track mounting unit is manufactured through a die-casting process.

0 5. The motorized skateboard according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the track mounting unit is made by bending a pipe.

6. The motorized skateboard according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the track mounting unit is formed through a pressing process.